The present invention relates to a chain mold for preparing solid food products, possibly filled-in food products, having very different three dimensional shapes.
Apparatus for making solid food products, and, in particular, filled food products, are already known which comprise substantially a rotary series of pairs of hollow punch elements, which mutually cooperate in order to provide individual food product pieces, starting from a continuous food product bead generally made by extrusion.
More specifically, the hollow punch element pairs of these apparatus, which can be mutually displaced towards one another or away from one another, are mounted on an upper chain, therewith is tangentially engaged a bottom chain supporting corresponding cutting elements which, by engaging with corresponding elements provided on the upper or top chain, cut the food product into pieces having a length corresponding to the pitch of the cutting elements.
These apparatus, however, are affected by drawbacks, mainly related to the adjustment of the tension of the two chains, thereby these apparatus frequently provide unsatisfactory end products.
Moreover, prior apparatus of the above mentioned type has a comparatively small size which does not allow to obtain a high product yield, even if the rotary speeds of the chain entraining gear wheels are brought to maximum values.